Workers' rights for Pimlico Plumber

A plumber has won a legal battle for working rights in a Supreme Court ruling.

The Supreme court has backed up an earlier ruling by an Employment Tribunal in the case of a contractor engaged by Pimlico Plumbers.

Plumber Gary Smith carried out plumbing jobs for Pimlico Plumbers. He was VAT registered and paid tax on a self employed tax basis.

The Supreme Court has ruled that Gary Smith was entitled to workers' rights and confirmed that the Employment Tribunal was ‘entitled to conclude’ that Mr Smith was a worker.

As a worker, Mr Smith was entitled to rights including holiday and sick pay. Details of workers rights can be found GOV.UK worker

Pimlico Plumbers chief executive Charlie Mullins said that he was ‘disgusted by the approach taken to this case by the highest court in the United Kingdom.’

‘This was a poor decision that will potentially leave thousands of companies, employing millions of contractors, wondering if one day soon they will get a nasty surprise from a former contractor demanding more money, despite having been paid in full years ago. It can only lead to a tsunami of claims.’